The Movies That Moved Me: Isaac Florentine’s SPECIAL FORCES
Here’s another trip back down movie memory lane!
isaac florentine
The Movies That Moved Me: Isaac Florentine’s U.S. SEALS 2: THE ULTIMATE FORCE
And now, another trip down action movie memory lane.
Planning The Havoc: A Conversation With HOUNDS OF WAR Director Isaac Florentine
Isaac Florentine has firmly established himself as a director on whom diehard action fans can rely. Since the early 90s, he has consistently delivered films with breath-taking action sequences that rival, and in many cases, far surpass those in larger-scale productions. Beginning his career in the trenches of very low-budget martial arts film production, while also directing the English language inserts for various iterations of the long-running Japanese-import children’s television franchise POWER RANGERS; Florentine developed a style of filmmaking based strongly on clearly framed and edited, highly kinetic action set pieces. His quality of work in these areas, in less than optimal conditions, caused him to rapidly become an in-demand talent during the, then still thriving, world of “Direct to Video Store” film releases. He would not only collaborate with action cinema stalwarts Gary Daniels, Dolph Lundgren, and Jean-Claude Van Damme— he gave each one rock-solid, highly entertaining, entries into […]
HOUNDS OF WAR Review: Frank Grillo Evens The Playing Field In Isaac Florentine’s Leveled-Up Revenge Thriller
Hounds Of War arrives on Digital on September 20 from XYZ Films. The current state of Isaac Florentine’s directing career is a bit of a mystery these days. He still remains as a fixture among the cadre of take-home action fandom for most, particularly having sheperded the post-Walter Hill Undisputed sequels of DTV lore amid his 30+ year career proliferating some of the best in martial arts movie stardom. Interestingly, he’s had a few core signs during this period that he was maturing (or at least trying to) as a director, namely with films like Assassin’s Bullet and Antonio Banderas starrer, Acts Of Vengance. His latest now comes after wrapping things up with his Boyka-of-choice with Scott Adkins starrer, Seized, having since collaborated with leading man Frank Grillo whose name has been on the chyron of trade casting reports almost year round for more than a decade now, having worked […]
HOUNDS OF WAR Trailer Sees Frank Grillo On The Run, And On The Hunt!
If you’re wondering what took so long for director Isaac Florentine’s newest action thriller to finally begin its release campaign, you’re probably not alone there. Rest assured, XYZ Films is hailing fans of the action cinema steward with a release on Digital set for September 20. Frank Grillo, Robert Patrick and Rhona Mitra star in HOUNDS OF WAR about the best military mercenaries money can buy. Known as ‘The Hounds’, they are sent on a final mission by their creator: a carefully planned trap set up to destroy them. The official trailer is now here, joined by the familiar key art and a small batch of stills to take in just beneath!
HELLFIRE: Isaac Florentine Returns For New Action Headliner With Stephen Lang
Fans following actor Johnny Yong Bosch’s social media posts in recent weeks probably took notice of some set photos from a film production that just wrapped. News as of Monday confirms just that, with details on Hellfire, reuniting Bosch with seasoned Power Rangers franchise vet, Undisputed franchise director Isaac Florentine and starring Stephen Lang (Avatar, V.F.W.) in the lead role. According to Deadline’s Valerie Complex, the film was written by Richard Lowry and centers on ” a mysterious past who arrives in a small town and finds the residents in the grip of a ruthless crime boss and realizes he has to help them.” The film also stars Harvey Keitel and Dolph Lundgren, in addition to Bosch and co-stars Scottie Thompson, Michael Sirow, Chris Mullinax, Maurice Compte, Levon Panek, and Natalie Canerday. Bosch previously worked with Florentine on several installments of the Power Rangers franchise. The famed action director also […]
HOUNDS OF WAR: XYZ Films Takes Global Sales For Isaac Florentine’s Frank Grillo-Led Action Thriller
Deadline‘s Andreas Wiseman is reporting that upcoming action thriller Hounds Of War has been acquired by XYZ Films for international sales for the Cannes Marche du Film. The move marks a first for filmmaker Isaac Florentine in his first partnership with the company having proliferated himself with a notable resumè of action titles he’s helmed for film and television in the last thirty five years. Hounds Of War joins Florentine with screenwriter Jean Pierre Magro for a cast led prominently by Frank Grillo, Rhona Mitra and Robert Patrick. The film centers on “Ryder who with his team are considered the best mercenaries money can buy. But now their own master wants to get rid of them. The Hounds are sent on a final mission: a carefully planned trap set up to destroy them.” Other cast members include Steve Elder, Joey Ansah, Mark Strange, Seydina Baldé and Yvonne Mai. Magro is also producing […]
HOUNDS OF WAR: Get A Kick Out Of Frank Grillo’s Latest Tease From The Set Of The Isaac Florentine Thriller
Embeds are shut off over on Frank Grillo’s Instagram page, but you’re more than welcome to click here for the content. That’s all we’re gettin’ for now from the set of the recent Malta shoot for Isaac Florentine thriller, Hounds Of War, starring Grillo, along with Rhona Mitra and Nicky Whelan. Written by Jean Pierre Magro, the film centers on a mercenary who sets out to avenge his fallen brothers following a mission that resulted in a shocking betrayal. Grillo’s casting headed news of the film last year when Wolfcop helmer Lowell Dean was tapped to direct. Florentine makes for a welcome return to normal for fans who’ve followed his work, long stemmed in prominent television and direct-to-video releases in the action genre, last directing Scott Adkins thriller, Seized, and the Antonio Banderas-led Acts Of Vengeance before that. Trilight Entertainment’s Shayne Putzlocher is producing along with Magro, and with Pedja […]
SEIZED Review: The Latest Adkins/Florentine Affair Signals A Dooming Farewell To The Magic
In the history of cinema, there have been director / actor partnerships that reliably produce legendary results: John Woo and Chow Yun Fat, Scorsese and DeNiro, Scorsese and DiCaprio, Martin Campbell and whoever happens to be playing James Bond at the time, etc. For over a decade, if you were in a video store and saw the names Isaac Florentine and Scott Adkins on a DVD, then you just knew you were in for a great time. From 2003’s Special Forces to 2015’s Close Range, these two would almost single-handedly elevate DTV action cinema in ways that would put it above its theatrical competition (budget be damned). Now, after a five year hiatus they’re collaborating on the new actioner, Seized. This is exciting for so many reasons but is absolutely terrifying for one big reason… That lingering question: What if the magic is gone? Long story short, bad guys kidnap […]
SEIZED: Scott Adkins Action Thriller Lands December 28 UK Home Release
Isaac Florentine’s latest action thriller, Seized, is officially staking a December 28 DVD and Digital release in the UK from Dazzler Media. The film rejoins the celebrated action auteur with British action star Scott Adkins (Avengement, Doctor Strange) for another round following their extended string of hits including the Undisputed franchise, The Shepherd and Close Range. Pre-orders are now running via Amazon UK and iTunes. Get ready for an exhilarating dose of action in Seized! Action star Scott Adkins (Avengement, Doctor Strange) is Nero, a former special forces agent who has moved to a quiet beach town to raise his son. He is awakened by a phone call and message from a mysterious voice telling him his son has been kidnapped. In order to save him, Nero must wipe out three dangerous crime syndicates, leaving no survivors. But he must work alone and faces growing obstacles as he fights to […]
SEIZED: Don’t Miss The Official U.S. Trailer For The New Adkins/Florentine Action Thriller
Scott Adkins is currently waiting out a pandemic with his most recent production on hiatus for Castle Falls with Dolph Lundgren. In the meantime, he’s been doling out a series of interviews with some of the biggest names in martial arts and action fandom after churning out a number of productions in the past year. One such title, Seized, now hails from Lionsgate who’ve revealed the official trailer and key art this week for its release in the U.S. Seized marks the ninth and newest pairing from Adkins, and filmmaker Isaac Florentine (who last produced Todor Chapkanov’s Boyka: Undisputed), and arrives on DVD, Digital and On-Demand on October 13, 2020. Hiding out with his son Taylor on the Mexican coast, Nero (Scott Adkins, Doctor Strange) hopes to put his violent Special Forces career behind him. But after Nero’s home is attacked and Taylor is abducted, the mysterious Mzamo (Mario Van […]
Scott Adkins: I Think The Undisputed Movie Franchise Is ‘Done And Dusted’
The Undisputed movie franchise, as it stands, is officially over according to Scott Adkins in an interview in with The Action Elite contributor Matthew Essary on Monday. The actor had previously expressed the desire for a fifth film even as the franchise, which began in 2002 and continued with Adkins opposite Michael Jai White in 2006, suffered due to rampant piracy. The subject arose near the end of the interview when Essary asked for updates on the film franchise. “I’ll never say never, but those films, they suffered with piracy,” says the martial arts star. “The reason those films are so good is that we do have enough shooting days to make them good because that company knows how to make good films. They don’t want to do them on the cheap.” Piracy was especially an issue following the release of Undisputed 3: Redemption. Development on fourth languished and production […]
A CASE FOR BETTER ACTION MOVIES: ….Or, Why We Don’t Deserve Another Sequel After BOYKA: UNDISPUTED IV [Reprint/Revisal]
Director Todor Chapkanov’s latest feature-length affair, Boyka: Undisputed 4, isn’t exactly the kind that would get the big screen treatment in North America. Elsewhere? Perhaps. Not so much here though, and it’s a shame as it was still a hope of mine that I shared as a theatergoer, albeit understandable with a limited number of screens at the least considering how rare it is to see martial arts movies these days, and of the caliber they bare in talent and content. I take this fact to mind in observing the career progression of martial arts star, actor Scott Adkins, once a stuntman and someone who has essentially woven himself into ample popularity as an action-capable actor, and with his biggest audience keen on major martial arts fanfare. It’s a succession that has not been easy – one plagued by the ever-continued proliferation of piracy that causes films like Adkins’s latest […]
UNDISPUTED To Continue Boyka’s Story On Television, Production Begins Next Year
The award-winning Undisputed franchise is coming to television as of Thursday’s exclusive out of Cannes from Alex Ritman at THR. The martial arts action franchise is currently selling at the market for London-based Empire Films, the company now behind its small-screen reboot alongside Millenium Films. Walter Hill’s inaugural 2002 film, Undisputed, had Wesley Snipes and Ving Rhames starring as Munroe Hutchen and George Chambers, boxing champions in their own worlds who find themselves rivaling behind bars. Though the film bombed, further franchise fruition grew under the auspices of Nu Image and Millenium Films with famed action director Isaac Florentine taking the mantle for the next two installments, Undisputed 2: Last Man Standing and Undisputed 3: Redemption. Actor and martial arts star Michael Jai White took on the Chambers role opposite Scott Adkins for part two, segueing from the original film’s boxing millieu into a more popular and suited MMA format. […]
Florentine/Adkins Thriller, SEIZED, Lands Explosive New Poster Art
Action star Scott Adkins is running high on momentum this month following news on Strapped and Adrian Bol’s Legacy Of Lies. For this, we turn to the first poster for Seized, his recently-completed pairing with director Isaac Florentine and actor Mario Van Peebles. The film is now in post production, featuring Adkins as an ex-special forces agent on a trio of missions in order to save his son. Adkins will soon be seen this summer with the release of Jesse V. Johnson’s crime drama, Avengement, and Ernie Barbarash’s Abduction. (H/T to City On Fire)
STRAPPED: Scott Adkins And Isaac Florentine Reunite For The New MMA Thriller
It’s the action romance that won’t die with actor/director duo Scott Adkins and Isaac Florentine back for a ninth outing together called Strapped. Production begins later this year with Adkins starring as a former MMA fighter forced to confront the heart of his dark past following a brutal robbery and the theft of his championship belt. Florentine, credited for hits like Acts Of Vengeance and U.S. Seals 2, and a string of Adkins headliners dating back to 2003 pic, Special Forces, also developed the screenplay with Adkins, Michael J. Luisi, and Matt Venne who is penning the script. Luisi will produce with Kirk D’Amico whose Myriad Pictures will finance and represent for international sales in Cannes. “We are excited to be working with this team, including Scott Adkins and Isaac Florentine, and alongside producer Michael Luisi, who are all so experienced in making dynamic action and fight films,” said D’Amico. […]
Premiere: SEIZED Rolls Cameras In Mexico With Florentine, Adkins Back On Set
The week has commenced and principal photography is underway for Isaac Florentine’s Seized. His last film in directing capacity with action star Scott Adkins on Close Range turned out to be quite the less-than-impressive feat for some fans despite some solid performances on the action front, and so hopefully the duo who’ve been kicking it on set together for sixteen years now will finally find their footing together in a setting other than the prison confines of Boykaworld. The news comes following Adkins’ arrival several days ago to Mexico announced via Instagram Story as production rose imminent where he’ll be joined with actor Mario Van Peebles whose role remains undisclosed. The British action star and actor has several more lined-up from this point on, including two pictures with Jesse Johnson for Triple Threat and Avengement, and Wilson Yip’s latest Donnie Yen starrer for Ip Man 4. Read on: Premiere Entertainment […]
SEIZED: Adkins Takes To Instagram To Confirm Isaac Florentine Thriller On Location In Mexico
Follow actor and martial arts star Scott Adkins on Instagram on Friday and you’ll spot a Story post highlighting his continued adventures with gym hype and his latest venture with WanWan Protein. The post also confirms his arrival to Mexico to commece production on the new action thriller, Seized, which was teased in the markets with a sales poster presented by Premiere Entertainment Group. Carl Rizk, an ex-covert operative who’s moved to a small quiet town in Oregon to raise his son and daughter gets awakened by a phone call and message from a modulated voice telling him that both his children have been kidnapped and buried alive with just enough air to survive for the next 5 hours. In order to ever see his children alive again, Rizk has to take on three distinct groups of highly-skilled criminals and kill each and every one of them. But he has […]
ACTS OF VENGENACE: Antonio Banderas Narrates Silent, Brutal Redress In The First Trailer For Isaac Florentine’s Revenge Thriller
He’s built up to 27 film and television directing credits to his name in all of thirty years as one of the foremost leading filmmakers in the action genre. Most recently, more prolific efforts there have been a string of genre titles and faves like the Undisputed sequels, Ninja movies and Close Range all headlined by actor Scott Adkins whose career took a greater turn eventually appearing in Scott Derrickson’s Marvel adventure, Doctor Strange. Nowadays and in the wake of a brief producing stint with Todor Chapkanov’s direct-to-video tournament martial arts action hit, Boyka: Undisputed, Florentine’s time in the director’s chair now furthers him some more long-awaited growth into the mainstream. This time, he’s got actor Antonio Banderas (The Expendables 3) taking the mantle and bringing his seasoned gravitas for a role peppered and spiced with heavy, meaty fight action from choreographer Tim Man (Boyka: Undisputed, Ninja: Shadow Of A […]
Antonio Banderas Action Titles, ACTS OF VENGEANCE And BULLET HEAD Among Recent Saban Rights Acquisitions At TIFF
Actor Antonio Banderas has been on a badass streak in the last few years with a string of action movie appearances. The Security and The Expendables 3 co-star is set to appear in two out of three titles for which Saban Films have acquired the rights while shopping around at the Toronto International Film Festival. Acts Of Vengeance is first on the list as one we’ve all come to know in the past year as Boyka: Undisputed 4 producer Isaac Florentine’s revenge thriller, Stoic. Banderas is joined by Karl Urban, Robert Forster and Paz Vega with a script by Matt Venne that sees a f.ast-talking lawyer taking a vow of silence while transforming his body in preparation to avenge the murder of his wife and daughter. The other, Bullet Head, hails from writer and director Paul Solet with a story that explores all the categorical misgivings that eventually find a group of […]
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